"There is a FIFA rule in place which forces players to accept national team call-ups to prevent them - or rather their clubs - from picking and choosing which internationals they play. "

I thought the rule was to prevent clubs from pressuring their players into missing some international games, rather than to prevent the players themselves declining to play. There have been players in the past who have turned down international call-ups, without 'retiring' from international football, and it was never suggested that they were not entitled to do so.

a 4-3-3 with chambers henderson and wilshere as the 3 and 2 of sterling/chamberlain/walcott wide with sturridge up front would TEAR UP the group stages. England haven't had a proper DM since lt. parker so it would be quite good i reckon.

seriously though, i'm gonna make a #bold prediction that england will surprise people at the euros. Rooney should finally be old and shit enough that the press won't go mental if he isn't picked, and we should have a couple of proper world-beaters (sterling is the real deal imo. Shame he's a cunt and plays for liverpool).

As if Rooney will have shuffled off quietly by 2016. He'll be there, dragging the energy out of the team and making everyone feel sad about their own wasted youth. We're stuck with him until the next World Cup at the earliest.

As for Sterling, he's good but it's only a matter of time before he gets sent down for being SCUM.

Playing a complete shoulder shrug of a team in a euro qualifier and conspiring to play like a bunch of turds for 95 minutes and still end up with people like Glenn Hoddle miffling away about how we deserved it